Response: EL 405 Interactive Fiction

Coding an interactive fiction game can feel like you’re using an alien language until you become accustomed to it. It’s an easy language to learn once you know the rules. And the rules never change - they don’t seem to be circumstantial. I think I like that.

Coding an interactive fiction game helps you develop a language of programming. If you were unaccustomed to computers or using search engines, developing an interactive fiction game is another way to use trial and error with language until you achieve the desired result. I enjoy the aspect of experimentation.

You also have to anticipate the actions of your audience -- the player. This can be difficult because you have to play the game as they would and imagine what actions they would want to take.

It also forces you to focus on the words and the order in which you use them. You must have an attention for detail in order to fix the error messages you encounter. You have to keep trying different methods of coding until you find a way of expressing what you want the player to accomplish.

It’s about molding your writing style into a form the software can understand. We don’t have any classes on technical writing, despite the fact that there seems to be a large job market for it, so I like to think that the basic language used in programming an interactive fiction game is good experience.